Donatella Di Pietrantonio Wins 2024 Strega Prize with 'L'età fragile'

Donatella Di Pietrantonio won the 2024 Strega Prize for her novel 'L'età fragile' (Einaudi), receiving 189 votes. The novel is inspired by the Morrone murder case, where two girls were killed by a Macedonian shepherd, and explores peripheral life and trauma. Second place went to Dario Voltolini with 'Invernale' (143 votes), followed by Chiara Valerio with 'Chi dice e chi tace' (138 votes), Raffaella Romagnolo with 'Aggiustare l'universo' (83 votes), Paolo di Paolo with 'Romanzo senza umani' (66 votes), and Tommaso Giartosio with 'Autogrammatica' (25 votes). The 78th edition was marked by controversies over attire and accusations of cronyism, with Nicola Lagioia's phrase 'we prefer the faithful to the talented' cited. The final ceremony took place on July 4 at the Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia in Rome, with limited capacity causing invite disputes. Finalists appeared with signs reading 'Books are in competition, not those who write them,' emphasizing the focus on literature over social networks. Di Pietrantonio dedicated the prize to survivors.